Vila Velha Theater

The Vila Velha Theater, also known simply as 'Vila', is a performing arts center in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed in 1964 and is located on Avenida Sete, west of the 19th-century Neoclassical Passeio Público. The theater was a center of the 1960s counterculture movement, Tropicália, and cultural opposition to the military dictatorship.

Don't miss

• Sala Principal (Main Room): main stage that can be reconfigured and holds up to 350 people.
• Cabaré dos Novos: a café-theater with a concert hall that accommodates 90 people.
• Sala João Augusto: primary rehearsal room that also hosts smaller performances and dramatic readings.
• Sala 2: smaller rehearsal room that hosts workshops.
• Foyer: occasionally hosts exhibitions and small public events.
• Modernist architecture by Silvio Robatto, contrasting with the surrounding 19th-century Neoclassical buildings.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Vila Velha Theater

Cheapest way inCity Tour Salvador Historica4.8★ · 132 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$20 per personSee dates →Most bookedPrivate Walking Tour of Salvador Pelourinho4.9★ · 315 travelers2-3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$60 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Full-Day Tour - Salvador's Lower & Upper City5★ · 54 travelers~7 hoursFree cancellationFrom$130 per personSee dates →

A bit of history

The theater is based in the Teatro dos Novos Society, the first professional theater group in the area dating to the 1950s. A group of dissident students led the creation of a permanent theater, and the state government granted a space in the Public Promenade in 1961. The premiere show included Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, Gal Costa, and Maria Bethânia. The theater entered a period of decline after the death of leader João Augusto in 1979, but revitalization began in 1994 under a non-profit organization, followed by a large-scale renovation in 1998.